No. 20 Coastal Takes Game 2, 4-3, at Texas State

SAN MARCOS, Texas -
While Dalton Ewing accounted for his team's first three runs, it was a two-out home run by Seth Lancaster in the eighth inning that proved to be the difference as #20 Coastal Carolina won a back-and-forth game at Texas State Saturday.

The Chanticleers (12-8, 1-1) and Bobcats (11-8, 1-1) will play the rubber match of the three-game series on Sunday at 1 pm (CT).

Ewing had three of CCU's nine hits, including a home run, while scoring CCU's first two runs and driving in the third. Kevin Woodall Jr., added two hits and was walked once.

Andrew Beckwith (1-1) earned his first win of the season. He worked seven innings while allowing six hits, three runs and two walks with a strikeout. Anthony Veneziano started the eighth and hit his only batter. From that point, Will Latcham, who earned his first save, pitched two scoreless innings. He walked one and struck out one.

Texas State grabbed the early lead with a run in the second inning. With one out, Jaylen Hubbard was hit by a pitch and Cole Coffey walked. Luke Sherley followed with an RBI single to center field. The Chants then turned a double play to limit the damage.

The Chants answered with a run of their own in the top of the third. Ewing hit a leadoff single and moved to third on a Kyle Skeels single up the middle. Billy Cooke's fly ball to left-center field was deep enough to easily score Ewing to knot the game.

In the fifth, Ewing scored Coastal's second run, this time on a one-out, solo home run to left-center field for his fourth round-tripper of the season.

The Bobcats answered with a run of their own in the home half of the fifth to tie the game at 2-2. Sherley had a leadoff single and moved to third on a single by Jacob Almendarez. Derek Scheible flied out to his counterpart in centerfield and the ball was deep enough to score Sherley.

The Chants regained the lead in the top of the sixth. Kevin Woodall Jr., delivered a one-out single and, two batters later, Kieton Rivers reached on a Bobcat error. For the third time in the game, Ewing was involved in a CCU run as he chopped an RBI single through the left side of the infield to drive in Woodall.

Much as Ewing was a thorn in Texas State's side, Sherley was for Chants as he, like Ewing, has accounted for all three of his team's runs. Sherley had a one-out single and scored on an RBI double by Felipe Rodriguez to tie the game for a third time, 3-3.

Coastal bounced back to take a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth. With two outs, Lancaster hit his second home run of the season as his ball skipped off the top of the wall in deep left-center field.

Texas State got the tying run on base thank thanks to a walk, but Coastal turned a double play to end the contest.